Bushmills 21 Year Old Irish Whiskey

Bushmills 21 Year Old Irish Whiskey is a 750mL triple-distilled Irish single malt bottled at 40% ABV, made from 100% malted barley at the Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It spends a minimum of 19 years in Oloroso sherry and bourbon-seasoned casks, then marries for a final 2 years in Madeira casks — 21 years in wood before bottling, and the pinnacle of the Bushmills range. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• ABV: 40% (80 proof)
• Size: 750mL
• Style: Irish single malt, triple distilled, 100% malted barley
• Age: 21 years — minimum 19 years in Oloroso sherry and bourbon-seasoned casks, final 2 years in Madeira casks
• Origin: Old Bushmills Distillery, Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Two Decades, Three Woods, One Distillery

Bushmills works grain-to-glass on a single site in the village of Bushmills, a few miles from the Giant's Causeway, drawing its water from Saint Columb's Rill, a tributary of the River Bush — the brand traces its licence to distil in the area to a 1608 grant from James I to Sir Thomas Phillipps, and presents the distillery as the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery. The 21 Year Old is where that patience peaks: nearly two decades in sherry and bourbon wood, then a Madeira marriage that layers dried fruit and toffee over the malt. The brand's US page lists it with a 96-point Whisky Advocate score and a Best Irish Single Malt title. The rest of the range is on the Bushmills vendor page and in our whisky collection.

Tasting Notes

Deep amber. The brand's US notes describe a fresh, aromatic nose leaning to caramel and citrus; a palate of dried apricot and fig with toffee and toasted oak; and a clean but long finish returning to raisin and vanilla, over a base of caramel, honey and warm baking spice.

How to Enjoy

Neat, in a tulip glass, with time — a whiskey this old asks for nothing but a splash of water at most. Serve it after dinner in place of a cognac. More top-shelf pours are in our whisky collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Bushmills 21 Year Old matured?
For a minimum of 19 years in Oloroso sherry and bourbon-seasoned casks, then married and finished for a further 2 years in Madeira casks — 21 years in total, per the distillery.

Is Bushmills 21 a single malt?
Yes — a triple-distilled Irish single malt made exclusively from 100% malted barley, like all Bushmills single malts.

How old is the Bushmills distillery?
The brand traces its licence to 1608, when James I granted Sir Thomas Phillipps a licence to distil in the area, and presents itself as the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery. The Old Bushmills Distillery stands in County Antrim, near the Giant's Causeway.

Twenty-one years in the making — order Bushmills 21 Year Old online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.